The Paw is Quicker Than the Eye

Sunday, August 5, 2001 - USA

BRANSON, MISSOURI -
Magic dog?  Uh huh... sure, for $5 a ticket, I'll be happy to show you Wags the Escape-Artist slip through his Impenetrable Iron Fence of Doom.  He does it every time.  But that's a different matter... let's talk about a real magic dog.

"White Puppy" is relatively new to the Majestic Theatre, but already she's the talk of the town.  For two more shows, tonight and tomorrow night, you can catch her performing with her partner "Black Puppy" as illusionist John Gabriel magically transforms the two pups into a Dalmatian.

The crowd loves it, and the pups sure seem to soak up the applause backstage, but the real magic happened a few weeks ago.  Last month, White Puppy was among the scores of animals rescued from a horror show in West Plains.

At a breeder's home, over 200 animals were found living in deplorable, filthy conditions in what authorities would call "the worst case of animal abuse and neglect."  The Springfield News-Leader reported, "On the morning of July 11, officials found...dogs and cats living among animal carcasses at the West Plains facility of Martaun Middleton, who is awaiting return from Indiana to face felony and misdemeanor animal abuse charges."

Middleton, who had been previously convicted of misdemeanor animal abuse in Arkansas in 1993, maintains that she did nothing wrong, aside from taking in too many pets.  Now her Missouri breeding license has been revoked as well, but she plans on moving again before the end of the year (read The News-Leader, July 12, 2001 "Pet breeding facility busted").

Many of the allegedly abused animals have since found new homes and, at least in White Puppy's case, celebrity status.  Dave Rabedeaux is the handler who found the frightened, year-old German Shepherd/Terrier at the Taney County Animal Control Center where she and some 40 other animals were relocated.  With a little encouragement, trainers were soon able to revive the wiggly puppy within the frightened, white pooch.